Crate Amplifier Owners Club

[xStonr]

I recently got a Vintage Club 20 a couple of weeks ago via a late night ebay low ball. To my surprise I won it. What a great amp. It had a 12AT7 in V1 which did not have enough gain. I put a 12AX7 in which had too much gain. Then settled on a 5751 which to me is just about right.

 

[SteveGangi]

Hmmm. Keep all three tube types handy. It's such a quick and simple way to change the "gaininess" on the fly

 

[B-Love]

VC's are great amps. $299 sounds like a fair price but I'd try to haggle him down a little more. $250-270ish.
But if you like the tone just go for it. 300 bucks is not the most expensive amp in the world, can't really go wrong.

I traded in a VHT Special 6 half stack with a 12" speaker and got $100 off.

 

[spudman]

(Edited: maybe a forum rule violation so I changed the post. Not sure though.)

My guitar teacher always used the Crate CR-1 for his student lessons. He passed away this year and I'm helping sort though stuff for his widow. It looks like he had about a dozen of these little amps. I have no idea why he had so many.

 

[aibaxter]

Purchased this puppy about 2 month's ago from a Trade It store in NC. It's the hybrid model with 2 12AX7's in it and solid state power amp section. Three Channel. This amp was built around 1997-98 and I must say that it is great for almost any style you play from clean to heavy metal. Crate shipped these with Celestion V12-80 speakers that do a wonderful job. They didn't make these very long (2 years) and they are hard to find but if you do find one, buy it. For all you Crate bashers, this is the anomaly. Ruggedly built and sounds like butter. They came in 1x12, 2x10, 2x12, 4x10 and a GXT head. There is also a dedicated 4GXT cab for the head as well. The only mod I made to this thing was to install two fresh TAD 12AX7's. That probably woke her up just a bit. Did I say loud? The 112 I have will deafen most drummers in a club setting it really cuts through the mix and is very articulate. I've been a professional performer for over 30 years. Take this testimony on good authority. I own several other amps......from mainstream to boutique. THIS CRATE ROCKS!!!!!!

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Check Out The Tone!!!

Crunchy distortion

GXT Clean

I have 4x10 model that i bought new in '98,and i love it! But i'd like to sell it to get something a little smaller. If anybody wants one, hit me up!!!
Austin

 

[Desert Paladin]

This is my amp, this is the best "Club Combo" class amp I have ever owned! I installed a Tone Tubby in mine and the Blues break is beautiful.
I have however been having problems with my distortion channel lately: It runs hot;i.e. - The knobs get extremely hot to the touch, and it doesn't sound a good as it used to a year ago. I let it set for a time so I'm thinking the capacitors may have leaked and need change-out.

Any good amp techs out there that can offer some help?

 

[misc1600]

Are the v16 palomino really good? I'm thinking about trading my lil vox and cab for a like new made in the USA v16 Palomino. All my google searches have positive feedback, expect for the heat issue. Any more advice?

 

[vintage clubber]

proud owner of 3:

VC3112
VC2110
VC508

 

[Brian J.]

got a v1512t love it

 

[SaltyStrings]

Just traded a heap of stuff for a VC2110R. Pulled the tubes and found that there was a nice Tesla (not a JJ, but a real Tesla) E83CC in the reverb slot, a couple of no-ink 12ax7 (I assume) in the V1 and V2, and two JJ power tubes.

Put the Tesla in V1, buttoned 'er up, and this is a sweet little amp! Can't wait to put more time into it. Would love to hear what people have done with the speaker (though the original is not as bad as I expected from reviews), and if people have started to re-cap these yet.

I've got to admit: I took the crate nameplate off of the front.

 

[Duffy]

Crate V32 212 Palomino

I have a Crate V32 212 Palomino combo in my music room that I have not been using.

It has a little static in a couple controls on the top panel and should really be taken in to my amp guy for routine maintenance and a good looking over.

I have not played the amp in quite a while.

If you have a personal opinion of this amp I would appreciate getting your feedback. Is it worth bringing in and maybe spending eighty dollars or so getting it in real good shape? It works now, but can definitely use some maintenance. It is in externally mint condition, cream color and gold trim.

Do these amps have any really good pro's or con's? This is not a US made model.

Feedback is appreciated.

 

[SaltyStrings]

Crate VC2110R Schematics, Manual & Pictoral View

Took a while to find all these for the VC 2110 Reverb, so I thought I'd share with the rest of the class...

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByD4YgIBSyynLXJyU3dmTU1WUlU/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByD4YgIBSyynaVFRU2VHdmZsbHM/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByD4YgIBSyynQ29wVnpzTkpMTlk/edit?usp=sharing

 

[Papa Dafoe]

I'm a new member of this club. I just bought a NOS Crate v5, primarily as a harmonica amp.

In a nutshell... The stock speaker was an absolute horror. No wonder that Crate discontinued this little fellow!

On the upside, it takes mods very well, and now that it has a Fender V1030 (mfg by Eminence for the Pro Junior etc) and new better tubes, the amp sounds fabulous. I am totally digging it, and can't wait to gig with it later in the month.

 

[zuma48]

I just purchased a VC2110, and I have a VC3112. I want to get a real clean Fender like sound out of it. Please tell me what the best options are. I see some have changed the 12Ax7 out with 12AT7. Maybe a more powerful speaker that will help keep the break up down.

I know the EL84s like to break up earlier than say the 6l6/6v6s. Is there another tube or a version that will allow me to play louder with clean sound? I have had my VC3112 since 92 when I purchased it new. Its a great amp, loud!! I actually play with a drummer and have it on 2.5 and it will stay mostly clean, but again I want to crank it with out sounding like a 70s Ampeg stack. Thanks and cheers to the Crate club!!

 

[SaltyStrings]

Don't know first hand, but I was told in a different thread about a similarly tubed amp that a lower gain 12a?7-type and EL84M's would clean things up..?

 

[TeleTexas]

here is a pic of the original ... i would love to find one these !!!

I HAVE one of those!

 

[elmoscafeo]

Here's Mine

XT120R and a BV120H. I added a "Plug And Play" S-H700 jack plate to the back of the XT120R so I can double the combo as a 16ohm 212 cab for the Vox AC4TVH. I love both of my Crates. Note the cheap-o Raven Classic RC412 cab. I'm a firm believer that cheap can sound good.

 

[SaltyStrings]

here is a pic of the original ... i would love to find one these !!!

A bit late, but there is one on sfbay craigslist for $60, though I understand it's widely regarded as the worst amp ever made (never heard one myself)...

 

[tonepoet333]

I wouldn't say the old wooden Crate amps are "the worst amps ever made". I have the CR-1D wooden Crate and they have a decent clean sound to them and are loud! Mine has the original Eminence made speaker with a square magnet and metal dust cap with about a 1/2" hole in the center. I believe that style dust cap was to act like a "beam blocker". You see these in a Google image search. The "D" in the model was distortion. There is a knob on the back of the amp for dialing in distortion. Very sturdy amps, with those solid wood cabs.

 

[tonepoet333]

My first amp was a Crate CR-112. Sold that and got a TD-70 which was loud enough to play small clubs. From there it has been Ampegs, Fender, Peavey, Gibson, etc. I picked up one of the newer FW15R as an apartment amp. Recently I picked up the old wooden crate CR-1D and from a pawnshop I found a Turbo Valve 6210, which is a 60 watt all tube monster with two 10" speakers. It has an auto bias feature to allow you to use 6L6 or EL34s. It also uses 4 12AX7s and one 12AU7.